Third suspected Al Qaeda terrorist arrested in UP

Sambhal: A suspected Al Qaeda terrorist was arrested from Sambhal District in Uttar Pradesh on today. He will be produced in Delhi's Patiala House court later today. This is the third arrest of a suspected terrorist in two days.

Yesterday, two suspected operatives of a terrorist organisation, who were allegedly planning to carry out attacks in the national capital during Christmas and New Year, were detained by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. They were also believed to be natives of Sambhal District.

The arrest was carried out in a joint operation of Odisha and Delhi Police, Police Commissioner R.P. Sharma told the media. Rehman was suspected to be a member of the Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and had links in other countries such as Pakistan and Britain, Sharma said.

The arrest took place at his house in Paschima Kachha village late on Tuesday. Sharma said Delhi Police had come to know about Rehman's links with the AQIS after tracking his telephone call records.

A PhD on Islam from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, Rehman ran a seminary in Cuttack district. Most of his students hail from Jharkhand. According to Delhi Police, Rehman was engaged in recruiting members for Al Qaeda.